«And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.» (Isaiah 11:2)
- الحكمة
- الفهم
- المشورة
- القوّة (المعنويّة)
- العِلم
- التّقوى
- مخافة الله (بمفهومها الصحيح. كان القديس أنطونيوس الكبير يقول:"لم أَعُدْ أخشى الله لأنّي أحبّه". ويوحنا الحيب قال: المحبّة الأصيلة تنافي الخوف.)
- Wisdom is both the knowledge of and judgment about “divine things” and the ability to judge and direct human affairs according to divine truth.
- Understanding is penetrating insight into the very heart of things, especially those higher truths that are necessary for our eternal salvation—in effect, the ability to “see” God.
- Counsel allows a man to be directed by God in matters necessary for his salvation
- Fortitude denotes a firmness of mind in doing good and in avoiding evil, particularly when it is difficult or dangerous to do so, and the confidence to overcome all obstacles, even deadly ones, by virtue of the assurance of everlasting life.
- Knowledge is the ability to judge correctly about matters of faith and right action, so as to never wander from the straight path of justice
- Piety is, principally, revering God with filial affection, paying worship and duty to God, paying due duty to all men on account of their relationship to God, and honoring the saints and not contradicting Scripture. The Latin word pietas denotes the reverence that we give to our father and to our country; since God is the Father of all, the worship of God is also called piety.
- Fear of God is, in this context, “filial” or chaste fear whereby we revere God and avoid separating ourselves from him—as opposed to “servile” fear, whereby we fear punishment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other:
Two thousand years ago, when God poured out the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost, it was to empower the disciples and equip the Church with all the gifts they needed to proclaim the Gospel in such a way as to convert the hearts of those who heard the Good News. These gifts were abundant, including the seven traditional gifts of power and light we receive in confirmation — power (experienced as fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord) and light (experienced as wisdom, understanding, counsel and knowledge.)
If embraced, these seven gifts of the Spirit lead to the nine fruits of the Spirit mentioned by St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians. These nine fruits of the Spirit are the attributes of persons and communities that live in accord with the Holy Spirit, namely: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Having given birth to the Church that first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has continued to accompany the Church through all the ups and downs of history, inspiring people to holiness and providing the Church with the spiritual resources needed to address the changing challenges of each succeeding age. By the way, did you ever wonder why the Vatican flag is white and yellow? It is to remind us that we are to be the salt of the earth — the white — and the light of the world — the yellow.
Now, how to unpack the Gospel you just heard where Jesus reminds us that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”? Let’s start by noting that there is a big difference between the English Common Law system on which our American legal system is based and the Roman Law system on which Church law and the legal system in a lot of other countries is based.
Our law states the minimum, below which you are in violation of the law. It does not recognize a higher law — even though we describe ourselves as a nation under God, our legal system doesn’t act that way. Roman law describes the way things ought to be, below which you are in non-compliance with the law. Even the words, violation and non-compliance reflect different legal cultures and the practical consequences are enormous. For instance, in America running a red light is a punishable traffic violation, even if there are no cars around. Italians think that is crazy. They stop, look to see if any other cars are coming, and then if not, they might go ahead and proceed through the intersection even while the light is still red. They are focused on the purpose of the law, in this case preventing accidents and satisfied themselves with the knowledge that no other cars were coming.
We have a similar clash between two legal cultures in today’s Gospel. The Pharisees are like us Americans: they understood the law to state the minimum, below which you are in violation of the law. So, when they see Jesus’ disciples picking heads of grain to eat, they accuse them of violating the law forbidding work on the Sabbath.
By contrast, Jesus insists that achieving the law’s purpose is more important than the letter of the law. Notice the working of the Holy Spirit in this discernment? The purpose of the Sabbath was to prevent exploitation of workers and self-imposed workaholism by making everyone take a day off and to remind us that we belong to God (who deserves our worship) and not to our boss (who does not deserve our worship).
So when Jesus says that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, what he means is that in this case, his disciples did not violate the purpose of the Sabbath even when doing something that was technically forbidden on the Sabbath. The Pharisees say, in effect, but “it’s the Law, it’s the Law, it’s the Law!” These disciples were in no danger of becoming workaholics (they were unemployed) nor of forgetting that they were God’s servants — after all, they were following Jesus. Jesus describes his approach elsewhere as obeying the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law. In other words, there is a higher law before which human laws ultimately lose their binding force and Roman law takes this into account. In the case of rushing a bleeding child to the hospital, even we Americans know to obey a higher law — saving lives — and go through the red light in violation of a merely man-made law. That case is obvious, but there are many more cases where the same principle applies, for example on the controversial topic of unauthorized immigration. Some Americans cry “It is the law, it is the law, it is the law” forgetting that there is a higher law before which unjust laws lose their binding force.
Parents have a God-given obligation to protect and provide for their children, and if they cannot do so in their place of origin, they have a God-given right — even obligation — to migrate to some place where they are able to do so.
Church teaching is that beyond a certain point, laws which unjustly to prevent people from exercising their God-given rights eventually lose their binding force. Kind of like the case of those disciples in the small matter of Sabbath observance in today’s Gospel. Why? Because there is a higher law. Think of all those people, children and adults, at our southern border who came here to get their family out of desperate circumstances. Much like many of our own immigrant ancestors in the past.
We have the right to regulate the migration of people for the common good, facilitating migration and protecting migrants from those who would exploit them, but the bottom line is that we do not have the right to prevent people from exercising their God-given right to migrate when desperate circumstances so require. As we read in today’s Gospel, “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath,” and as we read elsewhere, “the Sabbath” — or any other law — "was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Two thousand years ago, when God poured out the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost, it was to empower the disciples and equip the Church with all the gifts they needed to proclaim the Gospel in such a way as to convert the hearts of those who heard the Good News. In today’s Gospel we see that there is a higher law before which all human laws must give way.
Probably all of us have fantasized at one time or another about what we would ask for if we could get anything we wanted. A house we can't presently afford? Some accomplishment? Winning the Little Rock marathon?
Usually, when we engage in such fantasies, we focus on something that we think will lead to an improvement in our own circumstances, for instance, our material well-being and that of our family, or our own security or our own personal success.
In today's first reading from the first book of Kings, Solomon is given the opportunity to ask for whatever he wants most. God says: "Ask something of me and I will give it to you." And Solomon's answer surprises us in two ways:
1) instead of asking for something that will lead to an improvement in his own personal circumstances, he asks for an understanding heart, and
2) the reason he requests this is to be able to benefit others: "Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?" He recognizes his responsibility as king and his inability to fulfill this responsibility without God's help.
Solomon has a lot to teach us today because we too have responsibility toward others — you as wives and mothers; I as bishop. Yet it is often hard to know what to do in the concrete situations we face.
You wives need an understanding heart when things come up in your marriage. My Dad's premarital advice to my brothers was always, "Be kind, no matter what, be kind!"
You mothers need an understanding heart to know the right way to deal with each child, given that child's own specific temperament and needs.
And we clergy need an understanding heart to "govern wisely this vast people of ours!" It is sometimes hard to discern well what is best for others or even for ourselves. So as we begin this conference, let us make this request of Solomon our own: "Give your servant an understanding heart."
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Day 1: Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given us forgiveness of all our sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Thy sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be’s
Day 2: Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set Thee, my Lord and God, before my face forever; help me to shun all things that can offend Thee, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Thy Divine Majesty in heaven, where Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God world without end. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be’s
WISDOM: Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all passing joys and satisfactions of the earth. Help me to attain them and possess them for ever. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be’s
FORTITUDE: When difficulties and trials of life come upon us, we are tempted, sometimes to cowardice and discouragement, sometimes to an impetuosity, which arises either from our natural temperament or from pride. These are poor aids to the soul in her spiritual combat. The Holy Spirit, therefore, brings to the soul a new element of strength—it is supernatural Fortitude, which is so peculiarly His gift, that when our Savior instituted the seven Sacraments, He would have one of them be for the special object of giving us the Holy Spirit as a principle of energy. It is evident that having to fight during our whole lives against the devil, the world, and ourselves, we need some better power of resistance than either pusillanimity or daring. We need some gift which will control both our fear and the confidence we are at times inclined to have in ourselves. Thus gifted by the Holy Spirit, man is sure of victory; for grace will supply the deficiencies and correct the impetuosities of nature.
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in times of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be’s
KNOWLEDGE: The Gift of Knowledge, when operative, is concerned with differentiating between what is and is not consistent with Faith. By this Gift, God enables us to recognize when a human and temporal thing—a plan, a practice, an idea—ought to be received as consistent with revealed truth.
This Gift operates, then, as a kind of supernatural instinct for discerning the authentic and the inauthentic in all that pertains to God and to our salvation. The Gift of Knowledge keeps the saints—those who truly love God—from falling into errors and confusion in faith and morals.
As Saint Thomas Aquinas explains, although Faith itself touches on what is divine and eternal (that is, God), the act of believing is a temporal and created event in the mind of the believer. Our ideas about God, even when true, are not the same as God himself. This is why a particular Gift is needed for dealing with them here and now. Knowledge provides a means by which we can conform our beliefs to the truth of Faith, thus bringing us confidence and certainty in questions that concern the practical and theoretical judgments of religion.
We fall. We do wrong.
Saint Thomas, however, relates the Gift of Knowledge to the Beatitude of mourning (Matthew 5:5). In this he relies on the insight of Saint Augustine, who observed that knowledge befits those who mourn, that is, those people who have learned a hard lesson by the difficulty of defeat they experience whenever they seek evil things as goods. Saint Thomas reminds us how precious is the knowledge we gain from our mistakes. True, it fills us with sorrow for what we have done wrong. But at the same time it gives us true consolation, for our regret over past failings finally persuades us to accept the created things in our life in the way that God would have us accept them: not making idols out of them, but using them in God’s Providence to lead us more surely into his love. The right judgment of Knowledge comforts us by assuring us how created things are ordered to divine Good.
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Thy glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to Thee, and Thy eternal rewards. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be’s
PIETY: Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for His sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be’s
UNDERSTANDING: Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Thy light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be’s
FORTITUDE: Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in times of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be’s
COUNCEL: Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.
Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be’s
DAY 9: Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration, may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen. Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be’s
Consecration to the Holy Ghost
On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses,
I offer myself soul and body to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God.
I adore the brightness of Thy purity,
the unerring keenness of Thy justice,
and the might of Thy love.
Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul.
In Thee I live and move and have my being.
I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness
and I pray with all my heart
to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee.
Mercifully guard my every thought, word, deed and hope.
Grant that I may always watch for Thy light,
listen to Thy voice,
and follow Thy gracious inspirations.
I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee
and ask Thee, by Thy compassion,
to watch over me in my weakness.
Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus
and looking at His Five Wounds,
trusting in His Precious Blood,
adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart,
I implore Thee, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity,
to keep me in Thy grace that I may never sin against Thee.
Give me grace, O Holy Spirit,
Spirit of the Father and the Son,
to say to Thee always and everywhere,
“Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Ghost for His Gifts
O Lord Jesus Christ
Who, before ascending into heaven,
did promise to send the Holy Spirit
to finish Thy work
in the souls of Thy Apostles and Disciples,
deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me,
that He may perfect in my soul
the work of Thy grace and Thy love.
Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom
that I may despise the perishable things of this world
and aspire only after the things that are eternal,
the Spirit of Understanding
to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy divine truth,
the Spirit of Counsel
that I may ever choose the surest way
of pleasing God and gaining heaven,
the Spirit of Fortitude
that I may bear my cross with Thee
and that I may overcome with courage
all the obstacles that oppose my salvation,
the Spirit of Knowledge
that I may know God and know myself
and grow perfect in the science of the Saints,
the Spirit of Piety
that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable,
and the Spirit of Fear
that I may be filled with a loving reverence
towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him.
Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples,
and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. Amen.
Sources:
https://passioxp.com/2022/06/07/knowledge-pentecost-octave/ https://passioxp.com/2022/06/11/wisdom-pentecost-octave/ https://passioxp.com/2022/06/08/fortitude-pentecost-octave/ https://passioxp.com/2017/05/26/novena-to-the-holy-ghost-day-1/ (until 9)The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The Catholic Church recognizes seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; a listing of these gifts is found in Isaiah 11:2-3. (Saint Paul writes of "manifestations of the Spirit" in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, and some Protestants use that list to come up with nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, but these are not the same as the ones recognized by the Catholic Church.) The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, but they are also found in all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive them when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily. We first receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Baptism; these gifts are strengthened in the Sacrament of Confirmation, which is one of the reasons why the Catholic Church teaches that confirmation is properly viewed as the completion of baptism.
As the current Catechism of the Catholic Church (para. 1831) notes, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit "complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them." Infused with His gifts, we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as if by instinct, the way Christ Himself would.
- Wisdom: According to Catholic doctrine, wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are enumerated in Isaiah 11:2–3. These gifts are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, Whom Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 11:1). From the Catholic perspective, the faithful receive the seven gifts from God—who is within each of us. They express that inward grace by outward expressions of the sacraments. These gifts are intended to convey the essence of God the Father's plan for salvation, or, as the current Catechism of the Catholic Church (para. 1831) puts it, "They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them."
- Understanding: Understanding is the second of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3, behind only wisdom. It differs from wisdom in that wisdom is the desire to contemplate the things of God, while understanding allows us, as Fr. John A. Hardon writes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, to "penetrate to the very core of revealed truths." This doesn't mean that we can come to understand, say, the Trinity the way that we might a mathematical equation, but that we become certain of the truth of the doctrine of the Trinity. Such certitude moves beyond faith, which "merely assents to what God has revealed."
- Counsel: Counsel, the third of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3, is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence. While prudence, like all the cardinal virtues, can be practiced by anyone, whether in a state of grace or not, it can take on a supernatural dimension through sanctifying grace. Counsel is the fruit of this supernatural prudence. Like prudence, counsel allows us to judge rightly what we should do in a particular circumstance. It goes beyond prudence, though, in allowing such judgments to be made promptly, "as by a sort of supernatural intuition," as Fr. John A. Hardon writes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary. When we are infused with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as if by instinct.
- Fortitude: Fortitude is one of the four cardinal virtues. That means that the virtue of fortitude can be practiced by anyone, Christian or not, since, unlike the theological virtues, the cardinal virtues are not, in themselves, the gifts of God through grace but the outgrowth of habit. The virtue of fortitude is commonly called courage, but it is different from what much of what we think of as courage today. Fortitude is always reasoned and reasonable; the person exercising fortitude is willing to put himself in danger if necessary, but he does not seek danger for danger's sake. Fortitude always serves a higher purpose.
- Knowledge: The fifth gift of the Holy Spirit, knowledge, is often confused with both wisdom and understanding. Like wisdom, knowledge is the perfection of faith, but whereas wisdom gives us the desire to judge all things according to the truths of the Catholic Faith, knowledge is the actual ability to do so. Like counsel, it is aimed at our actions in this life. In a limited way, knowledge allows us to see the circumstances of our life the way that God sees them. Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we can determine God's purpose for our lives and live them accordingly.
- Piety: Piety, the sixth gift of the Holy Spirit, is the perfection of the virtue of religion. While we tend to think of religion today as the external elements of our faith, it really means the willingness to worship and to serve God. Piety takes that willingness beyond a sense of duty so that we desire to worship God and to serve Him out of love, the way that we desire to honor our parents and do what they wish.
- Fear of the Lord: The seventh and final gift of the Holy Spirit is the fear of the Lord, and perhaps no other gift of the Holy Spirit is so misunderstood. We think of fear and hope as opposites, but the fear of the Lord confirms the theological virtue of hope. This gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the desire not to offend God, as well as the certainty that God will supply us the grace that we need in order to keep from offending Him. Our desire not to offend God is more than simply a sense of duty; like piety, the fear of the Lord arises out of love.